American School of Lutherie

 

 

HANDS-ON GUITAR MAKING 2-week intensive workshop 7-days for electric guitar making   February 5 - 11, ELECTRIC (full) Feb. 20 - March 3, STEEL (full) April 2 - 14, STEEL April 29 - May 5, ELECTRIC June 18 - 30, CLASSICAL                  HANDS-ON GUITAR MAKING teaches professional methods and techniques used by today's successful luthiers. Spend 2 high-energy weeks learning the craft as you build your own guitar in a setting designed to maximize your learning and the quality of your work. Acoustic  Course Description details Electric    Course Description details

 

 

ADVANCED DESIGN FEATURES 5-day seminar   DATES TBA ADVANCED DESIGN FEATURES is an in-depth study of the double tops, beveled arm-rests, compound cut- aways, adjustable necks, sound ports, and other popular new design features found on today's high-end hand-made guitars. Learn to understand and incorporate these features when you build your next guitar. See Course Description for details.

 

 

 

 

WELCOME TO ASL

Greetings, Charles Fox here. Thanks for your interest in the American School of Lutherie. For almost 40 years it's been my pleasure to teach the craft of guitar making and offer my best counsel to folks seeking to enter the field. With so many schools to choose among today, I've included a page of advice on SELECTING A SCHOOL, which I hope you'll find useful.

Check out our profile Premier Guitar Magazine
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New Course for 2012:
SETUP, MAINTENANCE & BASIC REPAIR
Hands-On Guitar Tech

Setup, Maintenance & Basic Repair is an intensive week-long introduction to the skills and techniques that professional guitar techs use to keep guitars in great condition and playing at their best.  You'll learn to trouble-shoot instruments and do what's needed to optimize their performance.  Along the way you'll learn professional level fret work, nut and saddle making, neck & action adjustment, intonation, cleaning & replacing pickups and controls, fixing dents and scratches, spot refinishing, and much more. ASL wil provide guitars, necks, fretboards, fretwire, etc for meaningful hands-on practice. Previous woodworking experience is useful but not required.

Course details coming soon ....
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ASL is the original and longest established school for luthiers
in North America. Since 1973 many hundreds of beginning and experienced craftspeople have passed through our doors, learning valuable skills and gaining powerful insights into this challenging work. We've introduced the craft to many of today's established luthiers and guided more experienced builders to new levels of mastery. Along the way we've developed the basic learning model and teaching formats used by guitar making classes everywhere.

We specialize in intensive, short-term, full-immersion classes designed for busy working adults - beginners and experienced guitar makers for whom long-term study isn't an option. One-week seminars and two-week hands-on workshops offer a choice of learning experiences that provide a strong foundation for continuing work on your own. Classes are small, the environment is friendly and stimulating. We have a good time sharing information, and you'll likely make a friend or two to stay in touch with and compare notes as you move forward on your own.

Currently scheduled classes are posted on this page. To keep our lives flexible for guitar production, travel, etc, we post class dates
3-4 months prior to each class, Check this page periodically for schedule updates.

You'll find class details in the COURSE DESCRIPTIONS section and answers to your most frequently asked questions on the FAQ page. Please email, or feel free to call us, with any questions or comments. We'll be happy to chat with you in person.